Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
17 July 2001
The Hon. Judith Tizard, Minister of State and Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage as well as Associate Minister of Transport, and Minister assisting the New Zealand Prime Minister with Auckland issues, who is in South Africa from 14th to 19th July 2001, will meet with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Aziz Pahad today, 17 July 2001. She will also meet with the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Minister Ngubane, in her capacity as Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. A meeting has also been arranged with Minister Balfour, Minster of Sport and Recreation. In addition she will meet with Mewa Ramgobin, member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Deputy Minister Pahad said that: "The purpose of Minister Tizard's visit is to enhance and enrich New Zealand - South African bilateral relations, inter-parliamentary and business relationships."
Since January1994, when full diplomatic relations were established between New Zealand and South Africa, both countries have developed strong political trade and multilateral relationships with each other. In 1996, during the visit of former New Zealand Prime Minister Bolger, the Cape Town communiqué was signed. This document seeks to strengthen co-operation between the two countries especially with regard to Commonwealth issues as they affect Africa.
The Cape Town agreement also made provision for the establishment of a joint relations committee of senior officials which held its inaugural meeting in South Africa in October 1998. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in New Zealand.
Trade relations have grown steadily with imports from New Zealand in 1998 at R291.5 million to R373.1 million in 2000 and exports to New Zealand in 1998 totaling R179.5 million and R214.3 million in 2000. However there remains much room for improvement. New Zealand wishes to expand its trade with South Africa and Southern Africa and South Africa is working towards increasing its exports to New Zealand.
New Zealand's program of development assistance to South Africa amounts to NZ$900 000 and NZ$ 3 000 000 among other SADC countries. Programmes range from education and training, primary and non-formal education and training, small projects fund for rural development, short term technical assistance and a voluntary service assistance programme aimed at capacity building in the Eastern Cape. New Zealand is also interested in assisting South Africa with low cost housing. Minister Tizard, will during her stay, visit a number of New Zealand funded projects in Soweto.
New Zealand and South Africa share productive multilateral relations:
a. South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland and Sweden together with Egypt, Brazil, Mexico and Slovenia announced a joint international initiative on nuclear disarmament on 9th June 1998 - "Towards a Nuclear Weapons Free World - the Need for a new agenda"
b. New Zealand supported South Africa's admission in April 1998 to the Cairns Group - an agricultural lobby of Southern Hemisphere countries
c. South Africa, together with New Zealand are founding members of the Valdivia group, representing "Temperate Zone Southern Hemisphere Countries on the Environment"
d. South Africa and New Zealand have both voted in favour of a whale sanctuary to protect the natural heritage of the oceans.
e. In March 1998 both Foreign Ministers signed the negotiated Arrangement for the Exchange of Scientific Observers in the Antarctic under the Convention of Antarctic Marine Living resources.
f. South Africa and New Zealand have agreed to exchange information regarding illegal fishing, especially the Patagonian Toothfish, of protected species in their respective Exclusive Economic Zones.
For further information, please contact
Manusha Pillai @ 083 412 9735